The Night Marchers: See You In Magic

John "Speedo" Reis is, without a doubt, one of

underground music's finest showmen, and it could also be argued that he's the

most underappreciated frontman from the alt-rock '90s. Not to dismiss his work

with Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Sultans, etc., but Reis always

seemed to put his best foot forward with Rocket From The Crypt, and he's

injected The Night Marchers with a similarly ecstatic mix of ferocious

garage-rock and populist pop. As always, this stuff is better suited for the

stage, and it would be foolish not to assume that horns could make The Night

Marchers even better, but with the assistance of a band that includes a couple

of fellow ex-Snakes, Reis has made his best record since Rocket's Scream,

Dracula, Scream!

heyday. Simple certainly doesn't equal thin on See You In Magic, a 47-minute blitzkrieg

bop that balances punky stompers with perfectly subdued moments like "Panther

In Crime" and "We're Goin' Down." The latter even finds Reis' rough croon

somehow making Armageddon sound truly wonderful.